Brunei Confirms It Sent Aid to Contras
A Brunei government official Tuesday confirmed that his country had given some aid to help the contras in Nicaragua.
“It was made on humanitarian grounds,” said the official from the prime minister’s department. He declined to be identified. He also refused to say whether the payment was in cash and would not confirm reports that the contribution was less than $10 million.
The payment was made after a brief visit to Brunei, an oil-rich country near Borneo, by U.S. Secretary of State George P. Shultz during a regional tour in June.
Shultz denied that he personally solicited Brunei for a contribution but confirmed that Elliott Abrams, assistant secretary of state for Latin American affairs, persuaded the sultan of Brunei, Muda Hassanal Bolkiah, to send funds to the Nicaraguan rebels through a secret Swiss bank account.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
